Puck catcher

ABSTRACT

The invention catches and stores pucks and balls. The frame consists of two U-shaped members. The two U-shaped frame members are joined by a plurality of members. Members attach the top and bottom of the two U-shaped members together. Further embers join the two legs of each U-shaped members. The attaching members support a floor for the device. The device is covered with a flexible mesh covering. The device also has a carrying strap attached to the top of the two U-shaped members. The device has a ramp with elevated sides and with slots at one end of the elevated sides. The ramp is attached to one of the U-shaped members by pins through the slots. When opened, the lid descends to the surface at an angle. When the lid is closed, it is parallel to the U-shaped member to which it is attached and is locked in place.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention is a device for the catching or loading, holding,carrying and storing ice hockey pucks, other pucks and balls.

[0003] This invention pertains generally to devices for carrying,holding, catching and storing ice hockey and other pucks and balls.Devices for carrying and storing hockey pucks and balls have been aroundfor a significant period of time. These devices have generally providedfor methods of carrying or storing the pucks, but have not dealt withmethods of collecting and ensuring that the pucks and balls can becollected without the individual bending over or being on their handsand knees to descend to the level of the pucks or balls to place them inthe holding or carrying device, including allowing pucks to be shot intothe device by a hockey stick. Although there are various carrying andholding devices, there is a need for a device which will allow pucks tobe gathered, collected and put in a storage facility without bendingover or descending to the ice surface, including shooting pucks andballs into the device while standing or skating, yet which allows theice to melt off and the pucks or balls and can be easily transported,and secured by locking the device.

[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0005] The prior art has consisted of devices for holding and carryingpucks. These have to be loaded by hand and are merely receptacles forthe storage and carrying of the pucks.

[0006] There is no method for loading the pucks except by hand at thesurface. In fact, they do not provide for a method of loading as part ofthe prior art or claims.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,956 issued to Panossian, also Canadian PatentNo. 2066564 is a carrier for circular articles, including hockey pucksand various balls. It is a hollow bodied frame with slots for insertionof the balls by hand. There is no method for loading the pucks withoutbending over or any method of loading the pucks other than by hand. Itis essentially a method through each slot of holding individual pucks ina specific slot or position. The present invention does not hold eachindividual puck or ball in a specific slot or position, is not loaded byhand as required under the Panossian Patent and the Panossian devicecannot be loaded with a stick without picking the puck up by hand.

[0008] Although these patents relate to the storage of hockey pucks,none deal with the loading of hockey pucks, none have a locking device,as contained in this invention, allowing the device to be locked and thepucks to be contained securely.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,144 issued to Bothers is a hockey puckstorage and dispensing system. It is loaded by hand and the primaryclaim relates to the dispensing or discharge device which is notapplicable to this device.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,140 issued to Radja is an apparatus forcarrying pucks and other hockey equipment. The pucks are gathered byhand and stacked vertically. There is no provision for loading the puck,other than by hand, and is primarily a method of carrying hockeyequipment.

[0011] It is apparent from the foregoing that the prior art fails tohave a method for loading the hockey pucks or balls using a stick,including a hockey stick, or which can be loaded without bending down orotherwise descending to the level of which the pucks and balls arelocated for loading of the device. There is no proper locking mechanismwhich allows the devices to be securely stored, which is not dependanton the quantity of pucks or balls stored.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The invention is a device for catching, loading, holding andstoring ice hockey pucks, other pucks and balls. The frame consists oftwo U-shaped members joined by a plurality of other members. Two membersattach the two U-shaped members together at the base and two othermembers attach the U-shaped members near the top or the curved portionof the U-shaped members. In addition, the two straight ends of theU-shaped members are attached by further members. To the joining membersis attached a floor which may be perforated or mesh and is attached tothe two members which attach the straight ends of each U-shaped membersto the other straight end of such U-shaped member and the two memberswhich attach the two U-shaped members to each other and which areattached to the straight ends of the U-shaped members. The floor curvesup near the entrance to the device to provide that when the pucks orballs enter the device, they drop downwards and will not rebound orbounce out of the device. The entire frame, excluding the floor, iscovered by a flexible mesh covering sized so that the pucks and balls,once they enter the device, will not exit out the sides of the deviceand remain contained within the device. There is a carrying strap orhandle attached to the top of the U-shaped members. The handle forcarrying the device may be flexible or stiff. At the front or loadingend of the device is a ramp made out of stiff material. This ramp haselevated sides rising at right angles to the floor of the ramp orperpendicular to the ramp. Such sides contain a slot at one end, whichslot runs parallel to the floor of the ramp. The ramp is attached to theU-shaped member by means of pins inserted in the U-shape member andrunning through the slot. Such pins have a head which is larger indiameter than the slot, so that the ramp is held in place. When open,the ramp extends from the pins down to the surface in which the deviceis located at an angle. When closed, the ramp is parallel with theU-shaped member. The pin is located in the slot at the end of the slotclosest to the middle of the ramp, when closed and the sides areparallel with and touching the U-shaped member on either side of thepin, locking the ramp in place.

[0013] Advantageously, the members are tubing to reduce weight either inthe form of aluminum tubing, sheet metal tubing and/or plastic tubing.The ramp may be made of plastic or metal, including aluminum and sheetmetal. The floor is made out of mesh, perforated or non-perforatedplastic or perforated or non-perforated sheet metal. The mesh coveringthe figures is made out of flexible resilient material which can includestring, rope, or plastic, meshing such as commonly used on hockey nets.The carrying handle can be made out of flexible plastic, nylon or otherfabric material or a rigid carrying handle out of plastic, metal,including aluminum or sheet metal.

[0014] The device can be loaded by shooting, with a hockey stick orother apparatus, the hockey pucks or balls up the ramp, where they dropdown onto the floor, preventing rebounding pucks or balls bouncing backout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device from the side with theramp extended.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the side with the ramp locked inplace.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the device with the rampextended.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the device with the ramplocked in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0019] In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG.1, a U-shaped front member 1 comprised of a structure with two straightsides joined in a U-shape is attached to a second U-shaped rear member2. Two straight sides are shorter than the front U-shaped member 1,which U-shaped member 2 forms the rear of the device. The two U-shapedmembers are joined by a plurality of other members. The U-shape member 1is connected to U-shape member 2 by members 5 and 6 equal in length,which attach the straight ends of the two U-shaped members together. Thetwo U-shaped members are also attached by two further members equal inlength, members 3 and 4, which are attached at the commencement of thecurve of the of the u of the U-shaped members. The two straight ends ofU-shaped member 1 are attached by a further member 8 attaching to thetwo straight sides of the U-shaped member together. The two straightends of U-shaped member 2 are attached together by further member 7,which is attached to the two straight sides of the U-shaped member atthe same height of attachment as the two attached members 5 and 6.

[0020] The device contains a floor which is attached to member 7 andmembers 5 and 6 for all of the length of member 7 and part of the lengthof members 5 and 6. The floor is also attached to the full length ofmember 8 and curves upwards from members 5 and 6 to attach to member 8.

[0021] A flexible mesh covers the device on the top and both sides andthe rear attaching to the floor at the sides and rear of the floor, 8 orin the alternative attaching to members 5, 6 and 7, running over theoutside of members 2, 3, 4 and attaching to the U-Shaped member 1. It iscontinuously attached so that there are no gaps. This mesh is flexiblemesh made of string, rope or plastic, consisting of thin, flexiblepieces joined to the floor at their base and proceeding upwardsdiagonally therefrom and spaced at regular intervals and attached toeach other flexible pieces at any point where the flexible memberscross.

[0022] The device is carried by a strap or handle connected to a pointof attachment to the top of the U-shaped member 1 and U-shaped member 2in the form of a small U-shaped piece attached thereto. The carryingstrap consists of a flexible material attaching to and connected to thetwo U-shaped attachment points 9 and 10 in the most advantageousapplication.

[0023] As best seen in FIG. 1, there is a ramp or loading apparatusattached to the front U-shaped member 1 of the device. The ramp consistsof a flat planar member 12 with two sides 13 running perpendicular tothe flat planar member. Each perpendicular side contains a slot 14running parallel to the flat planar surface and contained at one end ofeach side 13 closest to the front U-shaped member 1. The ramp or loadingdevice is attached to the front U-shaped member 1 by two pins, 15, whichare attached to and form part of the front U-shaped member and areinserted through the slot. Each pin, which causes the ramp to pivot,consists of a circular post running perpendicular to the straight sideof the U-shaped member 1, expanding to a larger diameter at the end ofthe pin. The pin is inserted through the slot 14. When the ramp is in anopen or loading position, the pin is located at the end of the slotclosest to the end of the sides 13 of the planar loading member 12,closest to the U-shaped from member 1.

[0024] As best seen in FIG. 2, when the ramp or loading device is in aclosed position, the flat planar member 12 is parallel to and in contactwith one surface of the U-shaped front member 1. The pin 15 is locatedat the end of the slot 14, which is closest to the middle of the sides13 on the flat planar member 12. By virtue of the pin being locatedtowards the centre of the sides 13 and the flat planar member being oncontact with the surface on one side of the front U-shaped member 1,both above and below the pin, when the device is in an upright position,the lid is locked and cannot be opened. The ramp is held down by theforce of gravity pushing the front planar member 12 down, so that thepin 15 is at the end of the slot 14 closest to the middle of the side13.

[0025] The device is opened by raising by hand the front planar member12 parallel to the front U-shaped member 1 until the pin 15 is at theend of the slot 14 which is closest to the end of the side 13 at whichpoint the ramp can pivot downwards so that it is on an angle.

[0026] As can best be seen from FIG. 4, the sides 13 of the front planarmember 12, including the slot, extend past the end of the flat planarmember 12, so that the pivot point around which the ramp pivots on pin15 is beyond the end of the flat planar member 12 allowing for the rampto pivot down when the ramp is fully raised.

[0027] It will be apparent the various changes and modifications can bemade without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in theclaims. For example, the U-shaped member 1 and members 1 and 2, FIG. 1,can be replaced by two members consisting of two upright post membersjoined by a horizontal member at the top or one end of the two uprightpost members. Thus, the floor member 16 can be replaced by a solidfloor, a floor of perforated material or mesh, including flexible orstiff mesh. The handle 11 can be replaced by a rigid handle, includingU-shaped or other shaped handle joining the top of the U-shaped members1 and 2. The placement of the pin 15 on the U-shaped member 1 can bevaried as to their distance from the end of the straight portion of theU-shaped member 1 causing the floor 16 of the device to be flat orelevated to different degrees.

1. A combination of members forming a frame, consisting of two U-shapedmembers, the front member being greater in height than the rear member,attached together by a plurality of members. The straight side of theU-shaped members are attached by two members equal in length. TheU-shaped members are also attached by two further members equal inlength, attaching at the junction of the curve and straight portion ofthe U-shaped members. The straight end of each U-shaped member isattached to the other straight end of the U-shaped member by a furthermember. A floor is attached to the bottom members attaching the twoU-shaped members together and to the members attaching, for eachU-shaped member, the two straight sides of such U-shaped member. Thefloor curves upward to attach the member attaching the two straight endsof the front U-shaped member, which is at a higher height than themember attaching the two straight ends of the rear U-shaped member. Aflexible mesh covers the device on the top and both sides and the rear,attaching to the floor at the sides and rear and attaching to theU-shaped front member. The device is carried by a flexible strap orhandle connected to two small U-shaped attachment pieces attached at thetop of the U-shaped front and rear members. The device includes aloading ramp attached to the front U-shaped member by two pins runningthrough slots on the two sides of the loading ramp. The ramp is a flatplanar member with two sides perpendicular to the flat planar member.The two sides extend at the end closest to the U-shaped member when theramp is open past the end of the flat planar member. Each pin consistsof a tube attached to the U-shaped member and a larger tube at the endwith a greater diameter. The two planar members are inserted through theslot. When the ramp is open, the pins are located at the end of the slotclosest to the end of the flat planar member and when the ramp isclosed, the ramp touches the U-shaped member at the front of theU-shaped member and the pin is located at the end of the slot closest tothe middle of the sides and flat planar member and the flat planarmember is in contact with the front of the U-shaped member, both aboveand below the pin, locking the ramp in place.
 2. The combination definedin claim No. 1 wherein the U-shaped members are replaced by two membersconsisting of a right and left upright post member joined by ahorizontal member attached to one end of the two left and upright postmembers.
 3. The combination defined in claim No. 1 where the floor ofthe ramp is a solid member and not perforated.
 4. The combinationdefined in claim No. 1 where the ramp is a perforated ramp, rather thana solid ramp in the planar portion.
 5. The combination defined in claimNo. 1 where the carrying handle is not a flexible member, but a rigidmember in U-shape.
 6. The combination defined in claim No. 1 where thecarrying strap is a rigid member attached to the top of the U-shapedmember at the top thereof, extending vertically from the top U-shapedmember in the form of two upright posts and connected by a horizontalmember between the two ends of the two upright posts.
 7. The combinationdefined in claim No. 1 where the pins on the front U-shaped member areat the same level as the connecting members between the two straightends of the two U-shaped members, which are also at equal heights, sothat there is no upward curve of the floor and the whole floor is flator planar.
 8. The combination defined in claim No. 1 where the height ofthe two U-shaped members is identical.
 9. The combination defined inclaim No. 1 where the floor is made of a flexible, as opposed to a stiffmaterial.
 10. The combination defined in claim No. 1 where the meshenclosing the sides and back and top of the device are a stiff, asopposed to a flexible material.
 11. The combination defined in claim No.1 where the sides, the top and rear of the device are composed of aplanar material attached directly to the U-shaped members and joiningmembers.
 12. The combination defined in claim No. 1 without carryinghandle or device.
 13. The combination defined in claim No. 1, where theflexible mesh attaches to the frame, by attaching to the bottom twomembers joining the U-shaped front and rear members together, and to thefront U-shaped member and to the member joining the two straight ends ofthe rear U-shaped member together.